1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to hangers, holders, mounts, and supports for articles, and more particularly to a device that can hold, hang, support, mount or attach to a single sheet or multiple sheets of sheet-like material.
2. Background Art
A number of hangers, holders, mounts, and supports for single or multiple sheet-like material have been proposed. Examples of such devices are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos: 5,711,430 (1998) to Andersen et al.; 4,899,974 (1990) to Wear et al.; 4,773,545 (1988) to Jones; 4,629,075 (1986) to Hutten; 4,105,127 (1978) to Hxc3x6ll; 4,010,517 (1977) to Kapstad; 3,814,368 (1974) to Freed; 3,606,507 (1971) to Williams, Jr.; 3,399,429 (1968) to Goodman; 3,591,013 (1971) to Von Herrmann; 3,168,954 (1965) to Von Herrmann; and 1,428,900 (1922) to Oppenheimer.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,711,430 to Andersen et al., 3,814,368 to Freed, 3,591,013 to Von Herrmann, 3,399,429 to Goodman, and 3,168,954 to Von Herrmann all disclose sheet hangers requiring at least one sheet-clamping or wedging roller or ball. Single and multiple sheet articles may be hung, as suggested, e.g., by Von Herrmann U.S. Pat. No. (3,168,954). Goodman""s hanger may also be used in the horizontal position. While these hangers have proven to be effective in some applications, they all suffer from the drawback of requiring more than one part. Further, they require at least one moving part. The requirement for multiple and moving parts normally leads to higher manufacturing and assembly costs. In addition, moving parts are more prone to wear and failure, or to jamming, than non-moving or single-piece articles of manufacture. Moreover, the hangers or holders proposed in these patents do not offer any ancillary holding capability, such as for pens or other implements.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,773,545 to Jones, 4,105,127 to Hxc3x6ll, and 4,010,517 to Kapstad, all disclose sheet hangers requiring at least one resilient or spring-like insert. Single and multiple sheet articles may be hung, as suggested, e.g., by Jones (in FIG. 5). While these hangers have also proven to be effective in some applications, they too suffer from the drawback and attendant costs of requiring more than one part. In addition, no ancillary holding capability (e.g., a pen tray) is suggested.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,899,974 to Wear et al., 4,629,075 to Hutten, 3,606,507 to Williams, Jr., and 1,428,900 to Oppenheimer, all disclose single-piece hangers. The hangers in Wear et al. and Hutten are made of a single extruded piece of plastic or plastics. However, they are designed primarily for hanging a single sheet of material. Their effectiveness for hanging multiple sheets is not clear. The hanger in Oppenheimer has an additional capability for holding a pencil. However, Oppenheimer does not appear to be suitable for holding a single sheet. Williams, Jr. discloses a conventional compression-type holder which does not easily receive a single flexible sheet.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a holder for sheet material that avoids the limits and problems associated with the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a holder that is effective for hanging both single and multiple sheet products.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a holder that is effective for hanging single-sheet erasable and laminate products.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a holder that is configured to hang wire bound sheet products.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a sheet holder that contains a tray or receptacle for carrying a writing implement or other elongated implement when the holder is oriented to hang a sheet or sheets vertically.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a sheet holder that contains a tray or receptacle for carrying a writing implement or other elongated implement when the holder is oriented to hold a sheet or sheets on a horizontal surface.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a holder for sheet material that is constructed of a single, extruded piece of material, to simplify manufacturing and assembly steps, minimize overall unit cost, and improve reliability.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a sheet holder that mounts to a vertical surface by means of, e.g., magnetic strips, double-sided foam tape or mechanical fasteners.
These and other objects are attained in accordance with the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which will now be summarily described. In the preferred embodiment, an apparatus for holding a single sheet or multiple sheets of sheet-like material comprises an elongated frame. The frame includes a rear wall, a front wall, and an adjoining wall. The rear wall has a free end, a joined end, and an interior side. The front wall has a free end, a joined end, and an interior side. The front and rear walls are disposed in substantially opposing spaced relation such that the interior side of the front wall generally faces the interior side of the rear wall. The adjoining wall connects the joined ends of the rear and front walls together.
The interior side of the rear wall includes a pair of spaced-apart projections running along the free end of the rear wall. The interior side of the front wall has a curved portion at the free end of the front wall. The curved portion projects toward the interior side of the rear wall and is in tight mating contact with the pair of projections.
The free ends define an elongated entry through which a single sheet or multiple sheets are to be inserted. The entry is normally closed by the tight mating contact of the curved portion and the pair of projections. The entry is openable by urging apart the interior sides of the front and rear walls.
The rear, the front and the adjoining walls, together, define an elongated hollow that is shaped and dimensioned to accommodate a wire or spiral binding.
The adjoining wall has an exterior side and contains a first elongated recess on the exterior side. The first recess is configured to carry a writing implement when the apparatus is oriented to hold the single sheet or multiple sheets in a first orientation (e.g., a vertical orientation). The front wall has an exterior side and contains a second elongated recess on the exterior side. The second recess is configured to carry a writing implement when the apparatus is oriented to hold the single sheet or multiple sheets in a second orientation (e.g., a horizontal orientation). The curved portion of the interior side of the front wall is produced by a curve in the front wall, and this curve substantially defines the second recess.